Origins: Lucian Silverpaw
by Feffervesce
Summary: Prequel-ish to Breaking Faith. Living in the woods your whole life certainly has its setbacks, but nothing compares to how out-of-place Lucian Silverpaw, a feral, wild Druid, feels when he first ventures to the giant city of Stormwind to find his father. Traipsing out into a world he's only ever seen in dreams, the young man finds adventure in the simplest of things.
1. Farewell

**Hey all! Sorry I haven't updated Reawakening in a while! I'm going to be focusing on it next, as long as this one doesn't torture me in the meantime. **

**This is just a short story, maybe going to be about 2-3 chapters, depending on their length. I've had the idea for it in my head ever since I created Lucian's character in the first place last year, and I finally decided to put it in writing. It's just a little bit of fun, a small backstory as to how he came to meet his father and discover the world outside his tribe.**

**I'll be focusing on the next chapter of Reawakening now, and then back to this one. :D I've started Reawakening's chapter, but this story kept popping up no matter what I did, and I had to get it out somehow. :)**

**Set approximately one decade before Breaking Faith; this'll probably cover the timeline all the way up to the beginning of that story, depending on how I end up doing this. :D**

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><p>"Are you sure that's all you want to take?"<p>

Lucian paused what he was doing at the question directed toward him, pursing his lips and glancing down to inspect the pack hanging from his shoulder. He'd packed an extra change of clothing, some gold sovereigns his mother had supplied, and a little bit of food, but other than that, he had nothing. He didn't really need much to get by.

"I'm just saying," the lavender-haired woman crossed her arms, giving him a halfhearted smirk, "That's not a lot for someone traveling across the world." Her eyes, as hard as she tried to keep her sense of humor, flickered with sadness.

Lucian caught her underlying emotion and let his lids fall shut for a moment, letting out a soft sigh. "Gladia," he murmured, "It's more than enough. I'll be fine."

As much as he was trying to convince his friend, he was also trying to convince himself to go through with this. The tribe leaders, his mother among them, had arranged a partnership between Lucian and his closest, oldest friend, Gladia Broadleaf, but neither he nor she were willing to follow through with said 'marriage' (if it could be called that). They'd decided their only way out of it was for one of them to pack up and leave the tribe, which was highly frowned upon and generally considered as a one-way ticket out. Once you leave, you can't come back.

Gladia had volunteered to leave, but Lucian wouldn't dream of letting her do such a thing. This was her life here, and she would have no other options outside of this tribe. But Lucian, on the other hand, had a father. A father who didn't know he even existed, mind you, but a father nonetheless. This meant he had an opportunity to start a life _away_ from this quiet, unchanging forest lifestyle, and he was quite willing to take it, and not only due to his necessity to evade the marriage.

Catalpa, Lucian's mother, had all but forbidden him from leaving, but with enough convincing, he helped her realize that this would be good for him, to meet his father and to possibly have a life outside this tribe. He was one month shy of 30, and when that day came he'd reach his coming of age. As much as he loved his tribe, as much as he wanted to fulfill the position of their leader when the time came for him to do so, he couldn't help but feel an urge to get out. He had a feeling he was meant for greater things than to live as a rebel tribe leader and hide out in Ashenvale his whole life…

Lucian took another look at his friend.

"Gladia," he said softly as he noted the pain in her eyes, and he reached a hand up, placing it on her cheek and brushing her hair to the side. "I'm going to miss the hell out of you. But this will be good for me. For both of us."

Her eyes once again shimmered on the verge of tears and she tightened her brows, expression hardening. He could tell she was trying to hide it, but this wasn't the time to bottle up anything. He was leaving. For good. Not coming back. If she or anyone else in this tribe ever wanted to see him again, they'd have to pack up and leave as well, and that was unlikely.

Gladia's strong, golden eyes flicked up at him from under her long, dark-purple lashes, and Lucian suddenly felt a strong rush of uncertainty wash over him. He loved her, but he didn't love her in that way... did he? She was his closest, oldest friend. Their compatibility was similar to that of siblings rather than mates. But, at times, he'd have to catch himself around her. She was _so_ beautiful, both inside and out, and it made him second-guess this choice of his. Both of them, upon hearing the news of their impending marriage, had fought against the arrangement fiercely. It had seemed so unfair to him that he hadn't actually contemplated going through with it.

But what if…?

No.

No, he couldn't stay or be with her. He'd made his choice, and she had obviously made hers. She'd been just as willing as he to leave this tribe rather than marry. If that wasn't a big indicator of her feelings upon the matter, he didn't know what was. She didn't want it, and therefore made his choice on the matter a whole lot easier.

He let his hand fall and turned to go, but she grabbed it and pulled him back, wrapping him in close in a tight, wordless hug. He let his head crane down, resting his chin on the top of her head and encircling his arms around her too.

"This is so unfair," she said in a quiet tone, her cheek held against his chest.

"It'll be good for me, Gladia," he reassured her, rubbing her back with one big palm comfortingly. "One big adventure." He pulled away from the hug, bracing his hands on her shoulders and looking down at her affectionately, "And not only that, but you won't have to be stuck with silly old me. It's a win-win!"

A nerve in her neck pulsed and she smiled feebly. "That's right."

He laughed slightly, but the tone was hollow. "Can you imagine us married? Forever?" He grimaced jokingly. "You'd get tired of me after three days, tops."

Gladia just nodded, eyes scanning his intensely as if she wanted desperately to say something but couldn't quite bring herself to do so.

He watched her for a while, the room falling silent and time ticking away slowly.

"Goodbye, Gladia," he finally said, hoisting his bag onto his shoulder. "I love you." He leaned down and kissed her cheek, willing himself not to get too worked up about this. He wasn't coming back. This really was his final goodbye.

She closed her eyes, remaining frozen in the room and not responding to his farewell. He studied her for one more moment, slightly concerned at her silence, and finally turned and left his room.

He walked down the long corridor of the mossy caves, the home where his nomadic tribe was currently set up. He'd already said his goodbyes to both Catalpa and his eight-year-old sister, Lena, and the only people he had yet to part with now were the twins, though they were nowhere to be found. Because he wanted to leave soon in order to reach Darnassus before the sun rose, he feared he might miss them. The thought of leaving them forever without saying goodbye was enough to drive him mad, and he could only hope he'd see them during the walk out of the caves before he shifted and flew away.

But, he reached the open, verdant mouth of the living, airy caves completely alone. He hadn't seen the twins, and from the looks of things, he wouldn't see them within the next minute before he took off. He let his breath out in a heavy sigh. He was eager to leave, but not to leave the people he cared about.

His eyes flicked up into the tree canopy. It was dense, blocking out all light save for a few shafts of moonlight that filtered through the few open spots in the leaves. It was peaceful here, and he knew that by leaving this place, he'd leave a piece of himself behind, too.

But the idea of venturing out, exploring the world, pulled at him so strongly that he couldn't help but get excited.

He trailed through the dense underbrush of the forest, absentmindedly noticing he was now in his cat form. His connection to nature was so strong that depending on his emotions or intentions, whatever came easiest was what occurred. So when he needed to slink through the woods preferably unnoticed by anyone who could possibly be nearby, the cat form would just… happen.

These woods, despite their serenity, also held an unsaid level of danger. He knew countless people from his tribe who had ventured out and never returned, only to be found a week later with crude arrows protruding from their chests or an Orc blade stuck in the heart. The Druids weren't alone in this forest, and the Orcs who shared it (that word is used loosely; the Orcs were invading more than anything else) with them were far from friendly. To stay silent when exiting the caves or when venturing out in the open woods was a must.

Lucian broke into a quiet run, leaping over fallen trees and ducking below shrubs, his paws padding softly against the wet leaves of the ground and making no noise other than a soft 'pat-pat' of the initial impact of his toes on the ground. A sense of freedom spread within him as he ran from his home, and a wide grin covered his feline face. Without trying to and despite his need to stay silent, a rumbling laugh bubbled up from his chest, turning into a loud, lion-like roar that carried through the silent forest, startling the birds in the trees and causing the wildlife within a one-mile radius to scatter.

Just a little bit further and he would shift to flight form, when the trees were less dense and he could fly in their midst rather than above them.

Behind him, however, he began to hear heavy footsteps gaining on him, so he sped his prowl into a run. His indiscreet roar could have easily attracted an Orc scouting party, but he knew with confidence that he could easily outrun any two-legged creatures in this forest.

But, even as he sped up, his pursuer continued to gain on him, and he felt the fur on his shoulders rise in concern. As he ran, he glanced back over his shoulder only to see a dark, blurry form darting after him through the night forest.

He intensified his sprint, heart pounding. Whatever was chasing him, it was faster than him, and that was shocking. He was the fastest in his whole tribe, save Unaril and Sa—…

…Wait.

He suddenly halted, stomping his front paws into the ground and whipping around right as two dark-furred cats slammed into him from both sides, knocking him clean off his feet. Once he scrambled away and got on his feet, he shifted out of his cat form immediately.

"What the hell!?" he let out a boisterous laugh, grinning widely. "You two scared the shit out of me."

As he spoke, the two giant panthers transformed mid-attack into two very nonplussed-looking twins, who both advanced on him again, with Sarion, the darker one, forcefully shoving Lucian's shoulder and the sea-blue-haired one, Unaril, sending a punch right at Lucian's stomach.

"Screw you, Silverpaw," Unaril was practically yelling, both livid and laughing at the same time—if that was possible—and he sent another punch at Lucian, this time directed at the man's jaw.

Lucian ducked, then began dodging their attacks with his forearms and hands, cringing away from the two men, who were both smaller than him but still a lot to handle. "What?" he asked incredulously, laughing and dodging.

"You thought you could just leave us all, _forever_, and not even say goodbye?" Sarion said, placing his hands on his hips indignantly. "With all due respect, Lucian, you're a dipshit."

Unaril relented his attacks and copied his twin, giving Lucian a death glare. "Not impressed with you, kid."

"Kid?" Lucian smirked and reached out, catching Unaril off-guard, and within two seconds of scrapping between the two, Lucian had him in a headlock. He gave Unaril a violent noogie. "I'm older than you, _kid_."

"Older doesn't constitute smarter!" Unaril choked out, hands grasping at Lucian's firmly-held arms in an attempt to get him to release his hold.

Lucian just chuckled happily, releasing his friend, who readjusted stiffly.

Lucian spoke in a light tone, "I'm going to miss you guys."

Sarion glowered at him. "Damn it, Lucian, why can't you just suck it up and marry her? This is all very stupid."

"Sarion, what if you were the one told to marry her? What then?" Lucian crossed his arms.

"I'd marry her," Sarion looked at the white-haired elf emphatically. "Lucian, come on. Out of everyone in this entire tribe, you get _Gladia_. You two are peas in a pod. Perfect match. And she obviously cares about you... like, a lot. Why is it such a bad thing?"

"Because…" Lucian furrowed his brows, pausing a second before finally continuing, "Nevermind. You wouldn't understand."

Sarion just gave Lucian a helpless look, and Lucian frowned.

Sarion wouldn't understand. Gladia, Lucian, Unaril, and Sarion had all grown up together; they knew everything about one another down to their deepest secrets, at least as far as the twins knew. But the twins weren't the ones Gladia would come to when she needed a shoulder to cry on or someone to confide in. It was always Lucian. It was almost like she and he were too close, too good of friends to even think about stepping over that untouched boundary. Neither Sarion nor Unaril knew what that was like.

Unaril looked downcast. "So you're really leaving?"

"I've already left," Lucian gave Unaril a slight, sad smile.

Sarion looked almost frantic. "If you're going, we're going with you."

Lucian lost his glow. "No."

"You gonna try to stop us?" Unaril taunted, mouth curling at a smirk.

"If you try, I _will_ stop you," Lucian retorted firmly.

"But you can't just leave!" Sarion threw his arms out to his sides. "Lucian, this is so selfish."

"No," Lucian retorted flatly, "You coming with me is what's selfish. If you leave the tribe, who's left with Gladia? She'll have lost her three closest friends in one day. You're all she will have left when I'm gone. Leaving her all alone? _That_ is selfish."

The twins let their gazes fall, and Lucian knew that he'd won. Gladia was all three boys' soft spot, and he knew Unaril and Sarion wouldn't let her down.

Lucian softened his gaze. "She needs you two."

The twins merely shut their mouths and looked resigned, and Lucian shifted his stance, speaking in a light tone.

"And I do wish you could come; if only the circumstances were different." He shrugged, "Who knows? Maybe things will change. But right now, I'm going to find my father."

The boys gave Lucian understanding looks.

"All right, all right," Sarion said, letting out a heavy sigh. "I understand entirely. I just…" He trailed off, chewing on his cheek for a moment. "We're going to miss you, Lucian."

Unaril looked broken, and for a moment, Lucian thought the kid was going to punch him again. But, instead, Unaril just advanced and wrapped his arms around his old friend, hugging Lucian tightly and wordlessly.

Lucian hugged him back, knowing this might be the last time in a _long_ time that he'd see either of these two. He wasn't entirely sure if he'd see them ever again, and that was one of the toughest realizations he'd had in, well, ever. He had to work not to let his emotions bubble over.

Unaril released and stepped back, sadness resting on his face, but he suddenly concealed it completely with one of his genuine, trademark 'Unaril' smiles.

"Cause trouble for us, okay?" the blue-haired kid grinned.

"Yeah," Sarion added, "Without us around, you'll have to work doubly hard to keep the mischief going."

"I'll do my best," Lucian smiled back, readjusting the light backpack on his shoulder. He put his hands on both of their shoulders, giving them both reassuring looks and taking one deep breath. "Take care of Gladia and Catalpa for me. And take care of yourselves, too."

They nodded sincerely, and he sighed. "I suppose this is the part where I leave," he said.

"Goodbye, Lucian," Sarion said quietly, and Lucian offered him a hand, which he took, returning with a firm, friendly handshake.

"Wish me luck," Lucian regarded them both, and he then turned around, back toward the western end of the forest where he'd shift in just a couple hundred yards.

_Stormwind_, Lucian thought to himself with a smile, _Here I come._

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><p><strong>Starts out kind of tough, but it'll get fun! :D <strong>


	2. The Lonely City

**This story won't be very long; I'm going to include one chapter after this one, and then possibly another after that, and it'll be done. **

**BUT**

**We will get to meet Norivana for the first time from Lucian's point of view. So that's exciting. ;D**

**Review Responses:**

**Connet: Bwaahaha. I need to start talking more in asterisked words. I like "*laughsob*" best...**

**Strazor: Ahh, I do too :D Plus Lucian's is so strange!**

**Raistlin the Mage: Yay, five stars! :D Whooo!**

**Aeschielle-MoonGuard: You actually have a bowties are cool pillow?! WHAT? I'm so jealous right now.**

**Fonset: Hahaha oh my god, yes, from now on he's called Lucy xD That sounds like something Sarion would do to him, give him an effeminate nickname.**

**Gamer Girlfriend: Wow! Thank you! :D That means a lot, my friend. And yeah I love intertwining all the stories together. It makes it more rich, I guess. **

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><p><strong>Been a while since I've updated this one, but I've had the chapter just sitting in my database for who knows how long.<strong>

**So here you go. :) Chapter 2 of this short collection! **

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><p>Lucian could feel the cool, misty breeze blow through his snow-white feathers as he came within view of the vast, dark sea that stretched for thousands of miles to the west. Beneath him passed the endless trees of the Darkshore forests, and up ahead, he could see the coastal town of Auberdine, with the long docks that staked their claim in the deepening waters and the little pagoda roofs of the traditional Night Elven buildings, painted in gold and deep amethyst; a sweet, perfect painting in the midst of the wooded coast.<p>

It was a comforting sight, but at the same time gave him a strong feeling of anxiety as well as a finalizing sense that he was, in fact, leaving his home. Once the point came where he'd passed from the greener forest of Ashenvale into the duskier Darkshore, it'd been a little sad, but he had been in these forests before, so it wasn't all that big of a deal. But now, as he neared the edge of the continent, it all began to sink in. He couldn't tell if he felt excited or dejected; perhaps it was a bit of both.

A rest within the little elven crossroads town sounded like it'd be a good idea before continuing on to where Catalpa had directed him to go. She'd instructed that he fly to Auberdine, from which he could take a ship to the Eastern Kingdoms. Right now, though, he needed to catch his breath. He'd just now flown over two entire forests, and he needed to at least re-hydrate and regain some strength for the voyage.

He circled once around the town, inspecting it and enjoying the salty ocean air. Down in the water, he could see one large ship docked and loading, which pleased him. No long waits for the next chance at leaving this place, and that was good news. He took a deep breath. It was rare that ever saw the sea, but it was one of his favorite things; the smell of the ocean, the sound of the waves... It was something he yearned for in the back of his mind, yet never really addressed. But now that he was here, it felt... complete.

However, so much for sticking around. He had somewhere to be, and it wasn't even on this continent.

The best idea seemed to be to fly down and shift out right outside the town's limits and approach it on foot. He knew that it was important to hide his identity here; some of the more fanatical Night Elves had little tolerance for the Silverpaw tribe, and he needed to be discreet. If he showed up in a flight form that looked different than that of the Cenarion practitioners, it'd be a dead giveaway.

He landed slightly off the side of the woodland path, beside a wooden sign with 'Auberdine' scrawled into it, and shifted back into his elven form. Quickly, he brushed his hands through his long mane and smoothed out his leather trousers, and then set off on the path with his things swung over one shoulder. All he wanted here right now was a little bit to drink and a minute or so to rest, and then he'd be on his way.

As Lucian walked into the little town past two sentinel women, he studied them carefully, and they him. Sometimes he forgot how tall he was, because compared to his own people he simply beat most of them by about a foot. But here, everyone looked miniature, only coming up to mid-chest at best. It was disorienting, and, to be totally honest, he thought it was kind of hilarious.

The two sentinels craned their heads up as he passed, their silver eyes boring into him and taking in his wild appearance, eyes inspecting his very primitive apparel with uncertain scrutiny. He had no shirt on due to the nature of the hot season, and his pants were held up by still-living vines that snaked through the makeshift loops. He also wore no shoes, as in his opinion they impeded his movement and felt very confining. But, upon taking in everyone else's appearances, Lucian suddenly regretted not having donned some kind of better clothing before he left, and he wished he had at least packed another shirt. The only clothing he'd included was extra pants.

He sighed. He didn't even have to show up in his bird form… Showing up as himself was just as bad.

Lucian held his head up a little taller and walked straighter, trying to appear dignified and trying to hide his own smirk. This whole situation was getting to him, and he couldn't help but laugh. It was too late to change things now; he might as well just be himself and see what reactions he got.

He loosened up and waltzed into the town, toward where he thought he'd seen an inn mid-flight earlier. It was the largest building there, so it wasn't hard to find, and Lucian, hiding a smile as he caught the expressions of the suspicious Night Elves around him, entered the doorway.

"Hi!" a cheerful-yet-calm voice met him, which surprised him. So far, he'd been met with uncertainty and negative stares. The woman's voice continued, "Can I help you?"

He looked over toward the voice and saw a stunningly-attractive, silver platinum-haired woman standing behind the inn's counter. She was wearing a colorful set of robes and had a bright, inviting smile on her face.

"H-hi," Lucian raised one brow, looking behind himself to make sure he was in fact who she was talking to. He was the only other person in his direction, which made him feel a little better, and he approached her desk, leaned one elbow against it, and smiled at her charmingly.

"Have you anything to drink around here? Fresh water, preferably?" he asked, and she nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes! Kyndri," she called out to the right, and another woman perked her head up from across the inn.

"Yes?"

"Get me a water flask," the innkeeper requested, and Kyndri nodded, and then went up the stairs.

Lucian smiled at the innkeeper, noting her pretty purple facial tattoos that accented her eyes. "Thanks."

"Are you a Druid?" she asked him, inspecting his clothes as well as the lack thereof. "You've got that vibe to you. Where are you from?"

"Yes, I am a Druid," Lucian nodded. "Just traveling through." He avoided her second question.

They both stayed there a second, and she suddenly spoke up and held her hand out. "Shaussiy Storme," she introduced herself, "I'm the innkeeper."

"I suspected as such," Lucian smirked a little at her, shaking her hand and glancing around, "Seeing as you're clearly the one in charge."

She smiled and watched him as if waiting for him to say something else.

He realized what she was waiting for and jumped and cleared his throat. "Oh! I'm uh, I'm Lucian," he said.

"Lucian…?" she eyed him sideways, waiting for him to elaborate and raising one brow ever so slightly with a funny smile.

"Just Lucian."

"Okay," she gave him one nod after clearing her throat, smirking to herself, "Just Lucian it is. Do you need somewhere to stay, Just Lucian?"

He shook his head. "Nah, like I said, I'm only passing through. Gotta rest a bit and then I will be on my way."

Shaussiy looked almost disappointed for a second, but she glanced at something behind him and her smile returned. Lucian turned as well to see Kyndri approaching with a decently-sized, quite-full flask. She handed it to him, and he took it in thanks, then looked at Shaussiy.

"How much?" he asked her, reaching for his coins.

She waved a hand nonchalantly. "It's only water, Druid," she laughed a little, "Consider it free."

He gave her a grateful nod and smiled, uncorked the cap, raised the flask to his lips and began to chug. The water was pure and sweet, and far better than he had expected, which had him wondering if maybe these elves purified their drinking water somehow. When he didn't slow down after at least thirty seconds, both Kyndri and Shaussiy started laughing.

"Alas, Kyndri, it appears as though this poor, parched man is going to drown," Shaussiy chuckled.

Lucian simply smirked in response and continued to hydrate. Once he managed to down the entire flask, finishing off the last of it and then putting the cork-like cap back on it, he glanced at the two women, both of whom were leaning against the counter watching him.

"What?" he laughed, wiping his chin.

Shaussiy held out her hand for the flask, and he gave it to her.

"Do you need more?" she asked him with a bright smirk.

Lucian shook his head. "No, that was perfect. Thank you very much." He smiled at them both, and then cocked his head. "Actually, there is something else I need."

"Anything," she beamed.

"Is there a tailor in this town? Or possibly just somewhere I could get myself a better set of clothing and shoes?"

Shaussiy laughed a chiming laugh. "Of course! Though, if you want something custom-made you'll have to give him at least a few days. And judging by your size, you'll probably need to custom-order."

Lucian pursed his lips. "Well, I need to be going soon. Does he have anything pre-made?"

"I do indeed," a male voice cut in, and Lucian looked toward its owner.

A man with dark features regarded him neutrally, inspecting Lucian with a measuring stare as if sizing him.

"If I could just buy a pair of boots and something to cover my back, that would be ideal," Lucian said.

"Let me see what I can do," the man said, retreating to an area of the inn that appeared to be his station. He had a counter set up almost like Shaussiy, but it wasn't quite as large. The man began rummaging through his stuff and pulled out a few folded shirts and various sizes of leather boots. He then stood up straight and beckoned Lucian over with a flick of his index finger.

Lucian approached the desk, and the man held up a shirt to him. "Try this one on."

The shirt was dark and soft, and Lucian liked it, but as he tried to fit his arms into it, it proved to be too small at the shoulder width. He took it off before he managed to ruin it, and the elf laughed.

"Perhaps this one," he pulled out an even larger black shirt, and Lucian tried it on. Everything fit other than the fact that when he tried to button it, it fit finely until it reached his chest and shoulders, as well as the sleeves were just a few inches short.

The man grimaced. "This is the largest I have," he murmured. "I suppose if you don't mind rolling the sleeves..? And... Leaving it mostly unbuttoned?"

"That's fine, yes," Lucian nodded, laughing heartily. "Thank you. It's better than nothing."

Lucian also tried on the boots until he found a pair that fit relatively-well; it was slightly too wide at the base, but other than that fit comfortably, and Lucian was pleased. He paid the man a gold piece and received fifteen silvers back, then returned back to Shaussiy, who had been watching them out of mild curiosity.

"You clean up well," she said enthusiastically, and Lucian laughed quietly.

"Can't even button the shirt up," he noted how his shirt was only half-buttoned, "But at least it makes me seem a little more respectable."

Shaussiy smirked, and Lucian glanced behind himself at the opening that led out to the long docks. The sky was still dark, but he knew it was only a matter of an hour or so before sunrise. He took a deep breath. "I suppose I should get going."

"So soon?" Innkeeper Shaussiy suddenly looked downcast.

"I'd like to catch the soonest possible ship," he said, "And I saw one at the docks earlier."

"Oh," she murmured, and then just smiled at him. "In that case, good luck. I hope to see you back here soon."

Lucian nodded, smiling at her. "Likewise," he said, though he knew that if things went the way he hoped, he wouldn't return to this continent at all - or at least, not for a very long time.

Before he managed to leave, though, Shaussiy held up a hand to pause him. "Hold on," she said, "I have something for you."

Lucian raised a brow and waited as she retrieved something from the other side of the large counter, then held it out to him. In her hand, it was a decently-sized rock, but in his, it was like a small stone. It was pure, true white in nature, and in the center of it was a strange, shimmering swirl.

"Thanks," he said a little hesitantly out of mild confusion as to its function, but she merely smiled.

"Come back soon."

He gave her a respectful nod, still a little confused as to what had just happened and why she had given him this rock, but he simply smiled and turned to go. "In another life," he murmured to himself as he started toward the docks, walking up one flight of stairs and through a short, open room that led out through an arch to the docks.

However, he hadn't even reached the docks when a sharp noise caught his attention.

"Hey," someone called from a short distance, and he started to glance to the side, but then brushed it off. It probably wasn't even directed toward him.

But, again, someone beckoned him. "Druid." It was in his own language, but it sounded strange, like an odd accent of someone who didn't know Darnassian as their first language.

He stopped and turned toward the voice to see a sight he hadn't glimpsed more than one other time in his entire life. It was a man, a _human_ man, standing there in long, thick, armored robes. He had short-cropped brown hair that reminded Lucian of mud, and the guy appeared somewhat young, though Lucian had no idea how humans aged. He was certainly no spring chicken, but he also didn't show any signs of true aging other than slight streaks of grey hair above his odd, rounded, small ears.

"Excuse me?" Lucian asked, his voice coming off as strong as he'd hoped it would, and he cocked his head a little, raising a brow at the man. "Need something?"

"Actually, I was thinking we could help each other," the man hummed, stepping out in front of Lucian and peering up at him. "You're taking that ship, yes?"

"Planning on it," Lucian said.

"And where is your final destination?" the man asked him.

"Why do you ask?"

"Because I may have the skills to expedite your travel," the man said, "Depending on where you intend to go."

"Stormwind," Lucian answered, "I was going to take the ship to Menethil Harbor and secure a flight to Stormwind from there."

The man clicked his tongue. "So much work for such a simple task," he said, crossing his arms. "What if I were to tell you I could get you to Stormwind instantly?"

"Instantly?" Lucian's eyes widened slightly and his curiosity got the best of him. "How?"

"Well, it would require a bit of magic, and... What else was it? Ah yes," he snapped his fingers, smirking cunningly, "Money."

Lucian let a smirk cover his face. "Uh, how much?"

"How much have you got in that pouch?" the man nodded toward Lucian's coin purse.

"About sixty," he shrugged.

The man appeared disappointed. "Ah... Well," he furrowed his brows, "I can do with sixty."

"You want _all_ of it?" Lucian raised his brows incredulously.

"Well, normally I would charge you at least one hundred gold pieces," the man retorted, "But I am feeling generous. It's the best deal you'll get anywhere around here."

Lucian glanced back down the docks at the ship off in the distance, weighing his options. He could go on the ship, but it was a lot of work. On the other hand, this was nearly all of his money_._

As if reading Lucian's mind, the man cleared his throat. "Without a portal, that journey could take you as much as a month or more, to get from one continent to the other, as well as across the zones between the Wetlands and Elwynn Forest."

Lucian creased his brows. Wetlands? Elwynn? What were these places? What was this man talking about?

The man seemed to sense Lucian's confusion and fed on it. "Listen, kid. This is a good deal. Take it before it's gone, or you've got a month's travel ahead of you."

Flustered, Lucian just nodded. "O-okay," he murmured, and the guy nodded back, looking pleased.

"Great! Show me the money, and you'll have your portal."

Once Lucian had counted out sixty gold pieces (which left him with only three gold and the fifteen silvers he'd received as change earlier) and had given them to the man, the man began to gather some kind of glowing spell into his hands. A few seconds later, a swirling portal appeared out of thin air, with faint, flickering images of whatever was on the other side. The man kept channeling his spell, so Lucian just waited.

"What are you waiting for?" The guy prodded, "Jump in before it disappears."

Lucian blinked once and started toward the portal, a little confused as to what he was supposed to be doing, but a distant shout surprised him.

"Bartholomew!" he recognized Shaussiy yelling, and he glanced over to see her sprinting toward them from down in the inn. "Don't you dare, you swindling, wretched little man!"

"Quick!" the man looked frantic, jerking his head toward the portal, "Go now!"

Lucian felt a little trapped, but he didn't want to waste his money, so he leapt toward the portal right as Shaussiy's voice rang out.

"No! Bartholomew, give him his money back!"

A strange shudder ran down Lucian's spine as he felt himself pass through the ethereal portal, and for a split-second he almost felt like he was going to throw up. His stomach churned, but then as suddenly as it had come, it passed, and he was left feeling oddly weightless. His feet touched solid ground, and he was in a dark room. Behind him, he glanced back at the portal to catch one final glimpse of the other side.

"You've already had your warning, and this is the last straw, you good-for-nothing, cheating, deceiving snake! You took all of that nice man's money! That portal wasn't worth half of what you took!" Shaussiy shrieked, and he could see a flickering image of the furious woman thwacking Bartholomew with a rolled-up paper and Bartholomew shying away and holding up his hands in defense.

Lucian scrunched his brows, confused, but the image flickered and then disappeared completely. His eyes, easily picking up images in the dark, shifted along the few people who were standing around in the dark room. They were all dressed somewhat like Bartholomew had been, and none of them paid any attention to him.

"What a strange place," Lucian murmured to himself, noting that this was not at all how he'd been told Stormwind was. He had heard Stormwind was a city of stone and water, but this was all dark and...cramped. At the far end of the room, though, he saw a doorway, so he hefted up his pack on his shoulders and made for it. The door led to a winding, circular ramp downward until he finally spiraled once and reached an archway that led out into bright, open air. It was around midday here, which threw Lucian off a little. He had expected early morning, but then he realized that different continents probably had different times of day. He squinted his lids at the jarring sunlight and covered his brows with his hand, shading his light-sensitive eyes.

This, he thought as his eyes adjusted, was more like it.

He appeared to be up in a tall tower that overlooked nearly the entire, massive city that seemed to practically glisten. Golden sunlight shone down brightly on all the pure, grey stones of the buildings and the blue-thatched roofs of the central district. Vibrant gold-and-cerulean banners flapped in the wind from nearly every high point in the city, the flags standing true and supporting the Alliance cause.

Lucian stood there for nearly two minutes, wordlessly taking in the intensity of the sight, trying to get his night-accustomed eyes to accept what they were seeing. It was all so... bright and shiny. Like a glittering gem set into the mountainside.

He glanced down below him at the grassy ground that was about a twenty-foot drop from his location on the tower. He shrugged to himself; he'd jumped off higher. He was light on his feet, strong and nimble enough that landing from that height wouldn't bother him. Without a second thought, he knelt down, braced one hand on the edge of the ramp, and swung himself off, dropping lithely, landing on his feet, absorbing the impact through his legs and allowing them to bend to reduce his momentum. He then stood up straight and brushed his open shirt off, straightening his clothes and squaring his shoulders.

It was now time to find his father.

* * *

><p>Three hours later, Lucian was flustered and stressed. He had been wandering through this city for far longer than he had been hoping to. He hadn't expected it to be so huge, nor had he really anticipated the fact that he didn't speak the language of the people here. By now he was hungry and quite tired, and he had nowhere to go. He had just wandered his way into a district that, by comparison, was much quieter than the one he'd been in before. There were people walking through the streets along with the occasional small wagon or cart on rickety wheels that creaked along the stone-paved streets, echoing through the area. Children's laughter could be heard faintly, as well as a constant dull hum of people talking.<p>

Lucian's stomach growled, and out of a fit of both hunger and discouragement, he shuffled over to the center of the large district and sat down on the edge of a small curb under the shade of a tall, broad-leaved maple tree. He opened his bag and rifled through it for his food, only to find an upsetting sight. The bread he had packed was completely crumbled, dried, and stale; he'd attempted to wrap it in preserving leaves, but they must have come untied during his flight, and now his food was ruined.

He frowned, dumped the bread onto the pavement and let his bag drop from his fingers, where it fell onto the ground between his feet. He rested his elbows on his knees and placed his forehead in his palms, letting out a sigh. This was not going at all how he'd hoped it would. He had not anticipated that once he got here, he wouldn't find his father easily. There were thousands of people in this city, and he was quickly becoming disheartened. Not only that, but he was hungry, and it was midday: a time that he would normally be snoozing.

He heard a rickety cart rolling over the uneven streets and glanced up. A welcoming sight greeted his eyes; there appeared to be a traveling merchant, and on the man's cart was a large array of breads, cheeses, and fruits, as well as pouches of what he could only hope was water. He hopped up from where he'd been sitting and ran over to the cart, surprising the human man, who startled and jumped back, then said something that Lucian couldn't understand.

Lucian smiled at the man in an attempt to find peace of the situation, holding up his hands harmlessly and then pointing at the food questioningly. The man just stared at him, so Lucian, after waiting for almost ten silent seconds, shrugged and got out his bag, then began picking out certain small loaves of bread and wrapped cheese curds and about five large red apples. He also grabbed one of the water pouches, and then gave the human a questioning look and pulled out his coins, lifting them up and shaking it to elicit a little jingling sound.

The man looked absolutely terrified for most of what was going on, obviously intimidated by Lucian's appearance as well as the fact that Lucian hadn't said anything to him. But, what the guy didn't realize, was that Lucian _couldn't_ speak the man's language, and he feared he'd frighten the poor man if he tried.

Lucian simply jingled the coins again, and the man finally snapped out of his surprise and nodded dumbly, saying something Lucian couldn't understand. Lucian shook his head, tapped his ear, and shrugged, then retrieved a gold coin, holding it out to the man.

The man's eyes widened and he glanced up at Lucian, then took the coin and smiled.

Lucian smiled back, gave the man a courteous thank-you nod, and then turned around and started to walk over to his spot under the trees. He was a little worried, seeing as he'd spent an entire gold piece, (and now he only had two left) but he knew in the long run he'd be thankful for this. He was hungry, and now he could ration what he had.

A hand tapped his arm not ten seconds later, and Lucian turned around to see the merchant, hand out-held full of silver coins, apparently change for the gold. Lucian raised his brows, and the man gestured for Lucian to take the money, so he did. The man said one word and patted Lucian on the arm, then returned to his cart. Lucian counted the coins to just over seventy silvers, which made him feel a lot better. So food wasn't _that_ expensive here, and that was good.

He sat back down in his spot under the trees and pulled out one of the loaves of flavored bread, peeling off an edge and taking a bite. He rarely ever had anything other than fruits and veggies and occasional fish; the bread he had brought with him was what one of his tribe members had created, and it wasn't so high in quality. But this bread was delectable. It was flaky, soft, and full of a rich, cheddar flavor.

It wasn't long, though, before he realized he had an audience. He was sitting under the shade of three trees total, and behind one of them, he caught a glimpse of a head peeking around the trunk. It was obviously a child, a human child, and after a second, Lucian realized there were more than one.

Lucian finally made eye contact with the young, dark-haired boy, who couldn't have been older than six, and sent him a cheerful smile. The boy's expression brightened and he left his hiding spot, tiptoeing out until he was standing about six feet from Lucian. He watched Lucian, who watched him back, and after a second Lucian realized what the boy wanted.

He pulled off a hunk of his bread and held it out to the child, who grinned happily and hopped forward, taking it with both hands and beginning to nibble the flavored bread.

"It's good, huh?" Lucian asked him, though he knew the kid probably couldn't understand him.

The boy's eyes widened at Lucian's foreign words, but after one bite, he began grinning, obviously pleased, and he shuffled over and sat down next to Lucian on the wooden curb. Lucian smirked down at him and continued eating, and the little boy watched him, then began copying his movements. Lucian took a bite, and the boy did the same, in the same way. Lucian just chuckled and shook his head, and continued eating, and the boy copied him.

The other children who'd been hiding and peeking from afar began to approach Lucian as well. They appeared to be of different ages, though they were younger than the boy sitting beside him. They all seemed to want the same thing, too, so Lucian quickly obliged, splitting up the rest of his loaf and handing it out to the kids, who quickly warmed up to him and began sitting around in the shade.

Lucian laughed a little, wondering where these kids came from. He counted seven of them, all extremely young, and he wondered if anyone was around here to take care of them. There was no way these children had no source of care, though; their clothing looked decent, if a bit raggedy, and they didn't look underfed. Skinny, yes, but not malnourished.

One of the children, after she was done eating, hopped up from her spot and ran up to him, then reached out her tiny hand in order to give him something. He opened his palm, and she dropped a small, fresh violet flower in it, one she'd obviously just picked from the blossoms that grew under the three trees.

"Thank you," he laughed, and she just looked at him, not understanding what he said, but she still smiled. She said something in her language, then reached out and took the flower again and tucked it into his silver hair, then clapped her hands together happily. Two other little girls who had been watching squealed in laughter at the sight and immediately scurried to pick more flowers to add to the first, and Lucian let out a joking groan.

"Oh no!" he laughed, "Not the flowers!" he reached up and removed the one the little girl had planted, placed it in his palm, and glanced at the girl.

"Watch this," he said, acknowledging she wouldn't understand him but not caring. He put his focus on the flower, staring at it intently and letting his palm start to glow with his magic, willing the plant to grow larger and more vibrant until the flower itself was almost the size of his palm; beautifully mutated into where it was giant and practically glowing with color. Its stem had lengthened and spiraled into an interesting shape, and the flower itself was at least four times the size it'd been before. He frowned a little; back home in his forest, he could have made this flower huge, but perhaps in this stone city, his abilities were impeded.

The girl's eyes were wide as Lucian handed her the flower back, and she reached out and picked it up by its stem, staring at it incredulously; it was now about as big as her head. Her mouth dropped open, and her eyes flicked back up at Lucian with admiration.

She shouted something excitedly, and the other kids looked over, staring at the mutated flower. She said something and pointed at Lucian, and suddenly the elf was being bombarded by all the kids holding out flowers they'd ripped from the planters, each wanting one of his or her own.

He began to laugh and worked to perform the spell with each one given to him, all flowers of various colors and species. Lucian was enjoying how easily amused the kids were, plus this was a nice - and entertaining - break from the stress of no luck finding his father.

One boy, though, instead of bringing him a flower, decided to bring him a rock and plopped it in Lucian's hand. Lucian stared at the stone, smirked a little, and glanced at the kid.

"I can't make this one grow, kiddo," he laughed, but the kid just pointed at it and said something that sounded like a demand. Lucian didn't have to understand him to know he wanted Lucian to perform the same operation on it as he had done with the flowers.

Lucian shrugged. "I can't," he apologized, but suddenly, he had an idea. He reached behind himself and plucked a flower with the stem attached, then wrapped as much of it as possible around the little pebble. From there, he focused on growing that single blade to where it had woven itself around the stone, and then he focused on making it bloom. All around the pebble, tiny flowers began popping up and blooming all over it, with hair-thin, spiraling vines trailing everywhere and flower petals falling from it like confetti. For a spur-of-the-moment idea, Lucian was pretty proud of how well it turned out.

He handed it back to the kid, who inspected the rock and seemed quite pleased.

By now, Lucian hadn't realized it, but he'd gained a good amount of people watching him work with the flowers and entertain the children. The kids would bring him some sort of plant, and he would alter it and make it grow to twice its size within just a few seconds. It was obvious the kids liked the flower trick the best, though, because with his trick, he made the vibrant colors stand out so brightly that it almost looked like the petals were glowing.

It wasn't until someone spoke to him in a language he could understand that he noticed his good-sized audience.

"How are you doing that?" he heard a man ask him in his own language, and his eyes widened and his head snapped up. This was the first time since he'd arrived within this city that he had understood anyone.

His eyes rested on a well-dressed elf with dark purple skin, navy hair and a trimmed-yet-full beard, who was watching him with interest.

Lucian breathed a sigh of relief. "You know, you're the first person I've met in this entire city who speaks Darnassian."

The man cocked his head. "I have never seen talents like what you were just doing. Who are you?"

Lucian handed the flower in his hands to a child nearby and stood, lifting up his pack and swinging the strap over his shoulder. He approached the man and held a hand out to shake. "Lucian," he said, hesitating a moment before clearing his throat, "Lucian Silverpaw."

"Silverpaw?" the man shook Lucian's hand and raised his brows incredulously, and Lucian felt himself tense just barely.

"Yes." He waited for the elf's response carefully.

"Fascinating," the elf murmured, "I've always wanted to meet one of your clan. I am Lorenzo Ravenbrook, but feel free to call me Enzo for short."

Lucian let out a surprised laugh, and Enzo gave him a comical look.

"What's funny?"

"Nothing, really," Lucian smirked, "That's just not the reaction I was expecting. Most traditional elves, when they discover anyone from my tribe, don't exactly introduce themselves with friendly handshakes."

"Ah," the elf nodded knowingly. "Yes...Well...There's a reason that elves like myself live in this human city and not Darnassus."

Lucian thought about this and nodded. "I suppose you're right. I didn't think of it like that."

Enzo looked like he wanted Lucian to follow, so Lucian obliged, walking alongside the elf. Honestly, Lucian was simply relieved to have someone to communicate with on a level higher than that of hand gestures.

Enzo continued speaking. "Of course, it is not like elves such as myself have been kicked out of Darnassus or have some sort of personal vendetta against its leaders; 'tis simply a matter of lifestyle choices. The more adventurous types, such as I, tend to seek out a life separate from where we were raised. What better place than the Alliance capital of the world?"

"Very true," Lucian chuckled, glancing back behind himself once to see a woman rounding up the young children, all of whom were toting around handfuls of vibrant, gigantic flowers. He smiled and looked ahead again. "So, where are we headed?"

"Well, as you stated that I am the first person you've spoken to within this city; I'm taking a wild guess that you have nowhere to stay. Am I correct?"

"Regrettably, you are," Lucian confirmed, "I came here to find my father, but I've had no luck thus far."

"Who is your father?" Enzo asked him as they walked through the crowded streets.

"His name is Edoril," Lucian replied. "I've heard he works here in Stormwind, but as far as where or under whom he works, I have no idea."

Enzo looked thoughtful. "Edoril…" he murmured, tapping his lower lip as he walked. He then snapped his finger. "Edoril! Edoril Frostweaver! Yes! I know of him! I rarely hear his first name; it took me a moment."

Lucian lit up. "Yeah?"

"He works in the keep," Enzo exclaimed. He then looked over at Lucian incredulously, slight disbelief etched across his face. "That man is your father?"

"Yes..?"

Enzo studied Lucian for a moment. "Actually, I see it clearly, now. If you had the beard, you'd be his spitting image."

"Do you know him?" Lucian smiled, feeling encouraged.

"Aye, but I'll tell you this now, Druid," Enzo paused a second. "He's not an easily-accessible man. It will be hard to reach him."

"Even if we tell him he has a son?" Lucian wondered.

"That's not the issue," Enzo retorted, "The issue is that we might not even be _able_ to tell him he has a son."

Lucian furrowed his brows. "What? Why?"

"I don't know what the man does," Enzo mused, "but I know he's rarely ever anywhere but the keep, and that's only if he's actually in the city."

"How do you know of him at all, then?"

"Not only is your father employed in a high position, but he also has prominent influence on the more diplomatic sides of Alliance affairs," Enzo replied. "I know of him because he is partially the reason I came to Stormwind in the first place."

"How so?" Lucian asked. He knew he was asking a lot of questions, but Enzo was answering willingly, so he didn't feel so bad for it.

"I am a Druid," Enzo stated. "However, years ago I had heard of the tribe that broke off - that Silverpaw tribe you hail from - and it interested me. I recall how Master Frostweaver was sent to Darnassus to meet with its leaders in order to see what could be done to quell the elves' distress surrounding the issue of your tribe staying in Night Elf lands even though they had forsaken the traditional customs."

"And at the time," he continued, "I was merely an apprentice Druid, but I was present to hear the discussion between Frostweaver and Whisperwind. According to what I heard, the man had gone to the Silverpaw tribe in an attempt to work out an agreement of sorts and was now returning to give Darnassus the good news that he had fixed the issue - as well as assurance that the tribe would be moving out of their current location, a location which was evidently somewhere in Ashenvale. So, when he left the elf city, out of curiosity, I followed him back to Stormwind."

"You left your home all because you were curious?" Lucian asked.

"Because I wanted to know where the tribe had gone," Enzo replied. "I wanted to join it."

"Join?" Lucian's eyes widened. "So...what did you do when you arrived in Stormwind?"

"I sought him out and spoke to him. Asked him where the tribe was."

"And?"

"And he said the tribe had left Ashenvale, but he didn't know where."

Lucian tapped his thumb on his lower lip thoughtfully. "He didn't tell you the truth...We've never left Ashenvale. My mother told me that when Edoril had visited my tribe, Edoril had promised her he'd let my tribe stay, and that he would provide the Darnassian leaders with vague information to settle their disarray."

"Wait," Enzo halted in his steps in the middle of the street, which caused people behind him to nearly run into him before giving him dirty looks as they shuffled past. The dark-haired man squinted his eyes at Lucian. "How old are you?"

"Thirty," Lucian replied, giving Enzo a quizzical look. "Why do you ask?"

"You—" Enzo's eyes widened. "You mean you're the _result_ of Master Frostweaver seeking out that tribe?"

"Uh," Lucian blinked. "What?"

"I mean when Edoril was sent to drive out your tribe, that was just over thirty years ago. The man had to have protected those Druids for a good reason. It was you, wasn't it? You're the reason?"

"Actually, it was my mother," Lucian said. "Edoril stayed with her during his short stay in Ashenvale with the tribe. He does not know I exist; I was born after he left."

"My knowledge of your tribe's history has just become far more clear," Enzo murmured. "I've overheard recent issues - complaints, more like - about your tribe as of late; as in, talk of the elusive Druidic tribe in the Ashenvale woods. When I heard these complaints, I became confused, seeing as I'd personally heard Master Frostweaver claim you were all but gone thirty years prior."

"People are complaining?" Lucian wondered.

"Were," Enzo corrected. "There were complaints for a while, a few months ago. Something about stolen military supplies."

Lucian was unable to hold back a sudden laugh at the story behind those words: stolen supplies. Just as Enzo had estimated, a few months ago, Lucian's friend Unaril had come across a campsite where a small Astranaar military caravan transporting goods was stopped for the night. Unaril being Unaril, he'd snooped around the supplies and wagons while the caravan slept, and had then recruited his twin brother Sarion to help steal an entire wagon full of various cooking ingredients, like flour, oil, salts, spices, and even some sugar. They'd both been scolded by the tribe leaders, but the tribe _had_ made great use of the cooking supplies, and secretly everyone was thanking the twins under their breaths. Trading rarely happened in the tribe; they lived off the land, but that could occasionally become bland.

So... All of that complaining was thanks to the Dawnstar twins, Unaril and Sarion.

The navy-haired man's eyes squinted slightly at Lucian's laugh. "You know of this?"

"Regrettably, yes, I do," he chuckled.

"Funny story, I take it?"

Lucian shrugged. "You probably wouldn't think so. Perhaps another time."

Enzo studied him, and then he just smiled. "Alright, well, first thing's first, we get a letter to your father some way or another." He spoke as the two strolled into what Lucian noted was a small patch of nature within the city. Enzo continued, "Welcome to The Park. I've got a place you can stay at, as long as you don't mind cramped spaces."

Lucian's eyes widened. "Certainly, that's more than fine. If I might ask, why are you being so welcoming?"

"You're a Silverpaw in the flesh! How could I turn that down?" Enzo laughed. "Not to mention you're the son of one of the most powerful men in the city. It's high time he meets you, don't you agree?"

Lucian nodded, now feeling hopeful. He'd found someone who was more than helpful in this massive, lonely city. He never would've dreamed to have such luck.

* * *

><p><strong>Next chapter he meets his dad. :D <strong>


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